


Ignition

by Viridescence



Category: CW Network RPF, Supernatural RPF
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-09-02
Updated: 2012-09-02
Packaged: 2017-11-13 10:19:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,516
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/502463
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Viridescence/pseuds/Viridescence
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When a tall, lanky guy walks into Jensen's custom automotive shop looking for ignition parts, Jensen finds something he wasn't expecting: spark.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Ignition

**Author's Note:**

> **Pairing:** Jensen Ackles/Jared Padalecki, AU, pre-slash
> 
> **Warnings:** None, really. Some Ford vs. Chevy rivalry. A not-so-favorable opinion on Autozone. Lots of specific automotive language.
> 
> **Disclaimer:** This is a work of FICTION. I do not own Jensen or Jared, or any of the characters who have real lives, and it’s a pretty safe bet that none of this EVER happened and that this story in no way reflects the actual sexual orientation or relationships of the real people included in the story. No harm is intended. No profit is being made. I’m just borrowing their names and likenesses to play in my own alternate universe.
> 
> **Author's Notes:** This is the first of my dialogue exercise fics. The purpose of this exercise is to write a short scene of dialogue to practice getting a natural feel to the conversation and voices. I also wanted to try to work in background information into the dialogue rather than info-dump it. And this is my first stab at it! 
> 
> This was written in a few hours based on a prompt swiped from a few lines of one of Maintenance Man's conversations. I don't know at this point if I'll do anything more with this. For the moment, it's just an exercise. Thank you to Pimmie for prodding me through it and looking it over when I was done with it. And thanks ever so much to Maintenance Man for the impromptu automotive tutorials. I based a lot of this dialogue (minus the flirting, of course) on years of listening to him talk cars with the guys.
> 
> Also on my [livejournal here](http://viridescence.livejournal.com/212592.html).

**Ignition**

"Hey, man, are those 4V heads?"

Jensen looks up at the tall, lanky guy that's just strolled into his garage. He's seen this guy a few times over the last week—he keeps picking up Chevy 350 parts orders in the name Padalecki. Jensen really doesn't mind seeing him again; the guy is definitely easy on the eyes with his high cheekbones, broad shoulders, and wide smile. "Good eye. Yeah, they are."

"Awesome. How much you want for them?"

Jensen snorts. "Nothing."

The guy's eyebrows rise, dimples flash with his smile. "Nothing?"

"They're not for sale." Jensen spent over $500 on those heads and even though they need some machining, he's got a specific purpose in mind for them.

The guy's eager expression falls, but he gives an easy shrug. "Oh. What're you gonna do with them?"

Jensen points over to the 351 Cleveland motor he has on an engine stand. "They're going on that, once I get around to rebuilding it."

"Shit, is that a Cleveland?" The guy lopes over to the engine and peers through the plastic Jensen has covering the open intake and exhaust ports. "Don't see many of these anymore."

Jensen grins, surprised. This guy obviously knows his Ford motors. "Nope, you don't. Got three of them myself, and it wasn't easy or cheap to find them."

"No shit? Damn. I got a 460 in my truck." He waves an arm towards the door, through which Jensen sees a navy blue '73 Ford pickup, hitch on the back.

"Oh yeah? I thought you were all about the Chevys with how you keep coming in here for 350 parts."

The guy beams at him, a little proud and sheepish at the same time. It's a good look for him. "I'm helping my brother fix up a '72 Chevelle for my sister. He wants her to have a car 'with a lot of metal around her.'" He makes quote marks with his fingers. 

"Hah, a Chevelle would definitely do that." Big friggin' boat of a car.

"Yeah, plus, Chevys are easy to work on, so she can do some of the basics herself. And Chevy parts are cheaper."

"Sounds like you're a family of mechanics."

His face takes on a softer, sad expression. "Yeah, we've kind of had to be. But it's good, Maggie's getting a car she knows how to do the maintenance on."

"Yeah." Jensen doesn't really know what to say to that—there seems to be a longer story there, but it's not his place to ask.

The guy slips back into his easy manner. "But me, I like the power in the Ford motors, the canted valve design, and how you have to know what you're doing."

Jensen grins. "Hah, yeah. Anyone can work on a Chevy. You have to know your shit to work on a Ford."

"Damn straight. Name's Jared," he says, sticking a large hand out toward Jensen. "Padalecki."

Jensen shakes his hand, grip comfortable and natural, noticing the calluses along the palm and the oil embedded deep in the cuticles that the GOJO pumice soap didn't quite scrub off. Jared's hands are practically a mirror image of his own, except longer. "Jensen Ackles. This is my shop."

"Yeah, I figured." Jared points at Jensen's name on his "Ackles Automotive" shirt. 

"So what can I do for you, Jared? Besides not sell you my 4V heads?"

Jared chuckles and runs his hand through mahogany hair. "Well, Jeff—that's my brother—asked me to go to Autozone to pick up an Edelbrock 1406 carburetor rebuild kit. But every time I go there I always have to deal with teenaged employees who don't know shit about cars, and I'd really rather not drive an hour to go into a store I hate."

"God, no shit. I hate that about Autozone." Jensen bites back a smile, pleased on several levels. He's had the same experience there, and he knows from experience that their reputation for being awful to gay employees is well-earned. 

"You're a lot closer, and you've been so helpful all week, so I wanted to see what you had in stock before I make a special trip." He gives Jensen a flirty smile, green glinting in his hazel eyes.

"Figured you'd support the local small business rather than the national chain?" 

Jared bites his lower lip, then nods. "Something like that, yeah. Figured it was worth the trip to see you, actually, whether you've got a carb rebuild kit or not."

Jensen feels his face heat up, and he barely manages not to grin stupidly. "Well, you're in luck. I do happen to have that carb rebuild kit on hand." 

"Great!" Jared shoves his hands in his pockets, thumbs out, and rocks forward on the balls of his feet. "I was hoping… I know you're a custom shop, but you seem to have some stock on hand…" He waves a hand at the shelves of basic automotive supplies Jensen has along one wall.

Jensen snorts. "I ended up ordering in parts for locals who don't want to drive 50 miles to the city so often that I eventually gave in and decided to keep a small stockpile of parts. I still have to order in stuff for people all the time, though."

Jared laughs. "Well, thanks for that, it's sure made things easier on us. And saved me a two hour-round trip and half a tank of gas, to boot."

"Hah, well I'm glad to be of service." He never intended to be a parts retailer, but he's glad he made that decision if it keeps bringing Jared into his store. "Let me just go get that carb kit for you, man. Back in a sec."

"Alright."

Jensen heads back to his parts shelves. It takes him a grand total of 20 seconds to find the carb kit that Jared needs; he knows exactly where it is.

"Hey, while you're back there, you wouldn't happen to have new points and a hot coil for my 460, would you?" Jared calls as Jensen's pulling the carb kit off the shelf. 

Jensen chuckles and turns around. "Are you kidding me? You know how many old Ford 460 trucks there are around here? Of course I do." He walks around to the next shelf and picks up the ignition parts Jared's requested. "You want a cap, plugs, and wires with that?"

Jared laughs. "Hoo, yeah, good idea. Don't forget the rotor."

Jensen leans back so he can see the counter, shoots a scowl in Jared's general direction. "That comes with the cap, I know you know that."

"I do, but a kid at Autozone forgot it on me once, so I just gotta be sure." Jared sounds amused.

Jensen huffs a laugh. "One more reason to avoid Autozone, then," he mumbles to himself as he grabs the additional boxes. "Hey, you might as well get a new distributor while you're at it."

"Naw, my distributor's in fine shape."

"Damn, and here I thought you were gonna make my month." Jensen walks back to the counter to find Jared bent over and looking at a 400 block that Jensen has partially disassembled. He stops in his tracks, ogling his finely-shaped ass covered in worn Levis, grease smears over the back pockets. Bastard must have done that on purpose. 

"What kind of cam you gonna put in this?" Jared asks, still bent over.

"The guy I'm rebuilding that for wants an RV cam in it, but if it were my engine, I'd love to put a high-lift cam in."

Jared straightens, and his voice takes on a suggestive tone. "Ooh, you prefer high RPM over torque?"

Jensen sets the boxes of parts on the counter. "Don't get me wrong, I totally get the need for torque out here, with everyone towing something. But I gotta admit I love a fast vehicle." 

Jared bites his lip again, and Jensen wants to suck on it. "Got a thing for speed?"

"I build high-performance engines, what do you think?" 

Jared's grin goes halogen-bright again, and Jensen feels electrified. "So maybe I could take you for a drive in my truck, see what you think of the 460? Maybe you could tell me what I can do to to get even better performance out of her?"

"So, would this hypothetical trip be a date, or are you looking for free automotive advice?"

Jared steps back over to the counter, leans forward onto his elbows and shows off a bit of clavicle beneath the collar of his shirt. "It would absolutely be a date. I'll even take you out to dinner. Any automotive advice you want to share is completely up to you."

Jensen bites his lip and rings up the parts. Altogether, it's just a bit less than $250. 

Jared whips out a debit card to pay for his purchase. Jensen bags the parts and hands the bag over, their fingertips brushing. 

"Saturday night good for you?"

"Saturday night is perfect." 

"Guess you are gonna make my month after all." 

Jared's smile lights up the shop.


End file.
